Android second-screen InkCase Plus smashes Kickstarter goal

published 8 August 2014

The Oaxis team are likely breaking out the champagne, having raked in nearly $200K in backing...

InkCase Plus, the modular always-on second screen for Android devices, has breezed past its $100K Kickstarter target with time to spare.

Simply put, it's a 3.5-in display that slides into a dedicated smartphone case, paving the way for plenty of nifty auxiliary uses.

The inspiration came from wanting to have updating wallpapers for the front of a smartphone case, but it's evolved a fair bit since then.

The low-power screen can display notifications, e-books, and even things like scannable barcode tickets or maps.

Oaxis, the firm behind InkCase, say the second display's main purpose is to reduce the power drain that comes with constantly accessing smartphones.

"We regularly hear from our friends and family that their phone has died and we hope that InkCase+ can alleviate this problem by making checking your phone a less power hungry process," says G-Jay Yong, CEO of Oaxis.

"We also look forward to the millions of photos people will use to customise their phone, making the blank black slate a thing of the past."

InkCase can install multiple apps, meaning the possibilities are endless for the smart screen. Oaxis hopes the InkCase will one day be a 'smart universal device.'

The svelte 5mm screen weighs just 45g and touts a 500mAh lithium polymer battery - that's enough it chugging along for 7 days of standby, 2000 e-book pages, or 8 hours of non-stop use.

The device will work with any Android smartphone running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean or later, and costs $79 (a.k.a £47 exactly).

Oaxis turned to polling to decide which smartphones would receive dedicated cases, with the winners announced today as:

1. Nexus 5

2. Samsung Galaxy S5

3. Samsung Galaxy Note 3

4. Samsung Galaxy S4

5. Samsung Galaxy Note 2

6. LG G3

7. HTC One (M8)

8. HTC One (M7)

9. Samsung Galaxy S3

10. Sony Xperia Z

The Kickstarter's now sitting at about $197,000 funding with five days to go, so it's well clear of the $100K target hurdle and looks set for an October launch.